


Princes of the Universe

by Nicoliol



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bottom Thor (Marvel), Choking, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Lady Loki, M/M, Space Pirates, There's a dragon, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-08-17 02:36:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16507751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicoliol/pseuds/Nicoliol
Summary: After being stripped of their princely titles by Odin when their father learned of their secret relationship the brothers were banished from Asgard. With nowhere to call home, Thor and Loki set out across the galaxy together to make a name for themselves as bounty hunters and, if Thor has anything to say about it, the proud owners of a dragon.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Thorki Big Bang.  
> None of this would have been possible without the support of my friends, especially Erin, who was also my beta. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.

“You absolute idiot!” Loki spat at his brother as the pair ran down the corridor towards the hanger bay where their ship awaited them. “What would possess you to steal a dragon?!” he shouted. His brother could be so incredibly stupid sometimes.  
“What would possess me to not steal a dragon that’s been abused is a better question,” Thor said, hurrying after Loki, the creature clutched tightly in his arms. “He’s coming with us. He’s only an infant! We can’t leave him with these people.”  
Loki rolled his eyes, something he always seemed to have time for even while gunfire erupted around them. He led the way while Thor remained focused on shooting at the guards that dared to chase after them.  
The brothers had arrived on that particular planet after a tip set them off to a vast treasure hidden in the vaults of one of the wealthiest beings that inhabited the capital, a city that covered nearly a quarter of the planet’s surface. The trickster god had done what he did best, convincing his older brother that stealing from a planet with no poverty whatsoever was barely even stealing at all. Sinking to his knees and offering the promise of a blowjob right then and there if Thor agreed to do as he said certainly hadn’t hurt his chances of successfully swaying his brother either.  
Instead of following Loki’s brilliantly flawless plan which would have left them wealthy enough to not have to work for months, perhaps even longer, they had acquired a third passenger that would only serve to eat away at their funds. He should have known from the moment Thor’s gaze had drifted to the dragon that it was all over. They’d been so close to breaking into the vault. They’d punched and magicked their way through several inches of metal when Loki had noticed Thor was no longer pulling his weight, fixated on the small dragon in the cage mere feet from where they’d been working.  
Dragons, the rare creatures that they were, had always been a favorite topic of Thor’s growing up. It was a fascination that had even managed to trickle into his adult years. Loki could remember countless occasions when his brother had sat with a dreamy look on his face, rambling on about all the possibilities that would lie ahead of him if he ever had the chance to tame one.  
Thor was not going to see that wish come true.  
If they’d gone through the trouble of stealing a dragon and leaving the planet with nothing more, Loki would be sure to see the thing sold off and their pockets filled. After all, it was because of Thor that they’d ended up with a dozen guards on their heels. And if Loki died because of his brother’s foolish decision he was going to kill Thor.  
“Don’t argue with me right now,” Loki snapped back at the blond. He had every reason to be angry when their initial, simpler plan had been thwarted by Thor’s desire to save the creature.  
“You’re the one arguing!” Thor retorted. “All I did was rescue a dragon!”  
Even with their pursuers closing on them Thor didn’t seem to be worried. If anything, his tone was cheerful, suggesting he was having quite a good time, unlike Loki who was beyond frustrated.  
“Wipe that smug look off your face!” Loki barked, teeth gritting, a finger ever present on the trigger of his blaster. Each shot back at the guards was like a wildcard; he barely spared a glance in their direction before shooting, only taking time to make sure Thor wasn’t in the way before he did so. Not that it mattered how accurate of a shot he was. Each guard he managed to take out seemed to be replaced by a new one. He supposed that meant they were keeping the crowd thinned out but that was a small victory.  
“The ship’s up ahead,” Loki shouted over the gunfire. “Get to the cockpit, I’ll cover you. I want off this miserable excuse for a planet!” There was a beat, as if he’d actually considered not adding, “And I will be choosing our next destination,” with an air of arrogance that suggested he had far superior knowledge of the galaxy when all he really wanted was to ensure they landed somewhere he could sell the damned beast.  
“Of course you will, brother,” Thor came back with a shit-eating grin if there was ever an example of one.  
Loki planted his feet at the end of the hallway just before entering the dock, their ship behind him. He watched as Thor passed him by and booked it the rest of the way, safely reaching the spaceport door where he ascended the ramp, disappearing inside their ship.  
Loki held his place as long as he could until the guards had doubled in number and came close enough to engage in hand to hand combat. As he turned to run he shifted into a small rabbit, darting this way and that to throw off the guards’ aim once the surprise of his transformation wore off, narrowly escaping blaster shots a handful of times.  
The ship rumbled to life, a soft thrumming sound permeating the air just as Loki scurried up the ramp, changing back to his usual form. His heart was working double time, pounding in his chest as he stepped over to a panel where he smacked his open palm against the button that would close the door. A few stray blaster shots flew past until he was safe behind a thick metal wall.  
He headed for the cockpit at a leisurely stroll, fingers brushing through his tousled hair to ensure he didn’t look like he’d just been running for his life. Outside they were still taking fire but it was nothing their shields couldn’t fend off.  
When he reached the cockpit he realized he shouldn’t have been surprised as his eyes landed on the dragon strapped into what was usually his seat beside Thor.  
“How am I supposed to help when that thing is in my seat?” he asked, annoyed. The ship began to ascend, leaving Loki gripping at the headrests for stability, eyes narrowed at the back of his brother’s head.  
“He’s frightened, give him a break,” Thor said, barely passing a glance in Loki’s direction. “Hurry up and sit down before you fall over and blame it on me.”  
Loki watched the thing tremble, wrinkling up his nose when he realized he would have to pick it up. With his hand on the back of the seat, he turned the chair around to face him and released the buckle, slipping his arms under the dragon, grunting with the effort it took to lift it. Just a baby and it already weighed as much as Thor. It made an odd chirping sound, no doubt stressed out over being moved around by strange people, but it made no effort to fight Loki. While he struggled to swap places with the dragon, Thor slowly pulled back on the controls, now constantly looking over, waiting until his brother had a secure seat before he would take off.  
“Get us out of here!” Loki yelled, seated with the dragon safe in his arms. Honestly, Thor treated him like a delicate flower far too often.  
Thor didn’t need to be told twice. He yanked back hard, putting them at a nearly 90-degree angle with enough speed to give a mortal whiplash.  
Loki’s head smacked against the headrest. He said nothing.  
Now pointed at the sky, Thor pushed forward on the controls, sending them hurtling towards the planet’s atmosphere and out into space.


	2. Chapter 2

“Whew!” Thor slapped his hand against the console causing Loki to jump. His brother was nearly beaming, certainly far more energetic than Loki was at that moment. The wide grin he was met with when he glanced in Thor’s direction told him he would gladly do it all over again.  
“Quiet,” Loki snapped, using both hands to point down at the thing in his lap. “What about this, hm? What now?” He didn’t give Thor a chance to get a word in, not until he’d finished making his point. “I hope you’re quite pleased with yourself. You’ve managed to steal a dragon, yes, congratulations, but do you know the first thing about raising one? What do you plan to feed it? We aren’t exactly swimming in credits at the moment now are we? No allowance from dear Odin keeping our pockets full. I told you to leave it behind but did you listen? No. No, you never listen,” he hissed. “We needed something to sell not another mouth to feed.”  
Thor took a moment, parting his lips, hesitating as though he expected to be cut off, then said, “We’ll figure it out.”  
“We’ll figure it out?” Loki repeated. “All of that and you come back with ‘we’ll figure it out?’” His voice mimicked his elder brother’s a bit too well. “I’m so glad you take the time to think ahead.” Luckily sarcasm was a language Thor had learned to pick up on.  
The blond sighed. “Why are you always so worried?”  
“It’s an occupational hazard that comes with traveling with a numbskull like you.”  
“Hey!” The fact that Thor was only mildly offended probably had a lot to do with the fact that it was most definitely not the first time Loki had insulted him. “So we’ve had some bad luck lately. It happens! But do you know what else always happens? We bounce back, better than ever.” Even with Loki’s foul mood Thor couldn’t be brought down.  
Loki sighed. He checked over the monitors and the radar to assure himself that the guards and the estate they’d stolen from didn’t have the means or the manpower to chase after them. That certainly eased a bit of the stress he felt weighing down on him though he remained certain that nothing good could come from the addition of a dragon to their crew. A dragon that had apparently decided it liked Loki enough to curl its tail around him and settle its head on the god’s lap.  
“Off,” he grunted, jabbing at the creature’s side. It didn’t move.   
Loki couldn’t understand what Thor found so appealing about it. Other than its large, round eyes it wasn’t exactly friendly looking. It’s small, naked wings which were undoubtedly too small to carry the beast’s weight had tiny barbs protruding from it where feathers appeared to be beginning to grow. It was covered in sanguine scales that shimmered under the lights and its massive teeth and claws put him on edge.  
“What are we supposed to do with it anyway? Take it with us everywhere we go once we land? Leave it behind to potentially destroy the ship?” He gave a futile push and scowled. “You didn’t think any of this through.”  
Thor eased off on the controls, allowing the thrusters to settle a bit; burning up all their fuel would do them no favors. “Loki, the cage he was stuck in was nearly the same size he is. Dragons are very rare and that is no way to treat them. They deserve respect. Freedom.”  
Loki rolled his eyes.  
His brother set the ship on autopilot, swiveling in his seat to get a closer look at the dragon. “Have you ever seen one before?”  
“No…” He drew out the word a bit as if he didn’t want to agree with Thor but had no reason to argue otherwise. “He’ll grow to a colossal size, no doubt. Too large for the ship. You can’t keep him so you might as well start considering what might be a decent home for him.”   
“We can’t let him go, Loki, he has no other dragons to learn from. He’s so young I doubt he lived in the wild for long, if at all. If we dropped him off somewhere he would just starve and die,” Thor said, a sympathetic look in his eyes.  
Loki watched as Thor reached out to rub a finger affectionately against the dragon’s jaw.  
“I’m going to call him Snarler.”  
“Snar--No. No, absolutely not.” Loki had barely begun to speak before he was shaking his head in protest. “You can’t name it because we’re not keeping it. Now get this thing off of me!” he demanded.  
Thor patted his thighs, backing up from where Loki was seated, trying to persuade the dragon to come down from the other’s lap. “Come on, Snarler, come here. C’mere!”   
It worked a little too easily in Loki’s opinion. He sat with his arms crossed, glowering even as the weight was lifted from his lap. “Finally,” he muttered, and unbuckled himself.  
Thor crouched next to Snarler, scratching the dragon’s chin. “You know,” he began. “If we had a pet you’d be much less stressed out. Having a dragon around would be the best! Some of them can even breathe fire, Loki. Fire.”  
“I heard you the first time, no need to repeat yourself for dramatic effect,” he replied, stepping around them.  
“Well it’s not as if there are many creatures that can breathe fire, that’s all.”  
Leave it to Thor to find the fact that the dragon might be able to set everything they owned ablaze a selling point.  
“Listen to yourself, Thor. How would that convince me to keep him? Better yet, how would it relax me knowing that there is a dragon on board that could potentially turn on us and burn us alive?” He muttered something under his breath about his brother’s lack of brains, taking a seat in the captain’s chair. He began to scroll through nearby planets, his finger jabbing at the display panel.  
“He won’t turn on us if we take care of him,” Thor countered, looking at Loki as if he thought that much was obvious. “You like books and brainy things, why don’t you read about dragons? This could be a great opportunity for you. You could even write your own book about them!”   
“I don’t want to write a book about them because I’m not obsessed with them like you are. I haven’t forgotten your fascination with them. Correction, you’ve never allowed me to forget, not since we were children.” It was speaking the words aloud that made Loki decide to ease off a bit. Thus far the dragon seemed harmless, blinking up at the two of them as innocently as a magical creature with bone crushing teeth could. And Loki supposed that if it meant so much to Thor he could at least tolerate the dragon’s presence. He’d be rid of it before long anyhow.  
“Because they’re amazing! And he has a name now,” Thor said matter-of-factly. “So we have to keep him. You can’t argue with that.”  
“You’re impossible.”  
With a few glances and minimal research, Loki chose a planet from the long list displayed on the monitor. A black market was a necessity but what really mattered was that they put space between them and the planet they’d just left  
“I need to lie down after dealing with your mess. And don’t you dare try crawling into bed with me. You can sleep in your beloved captain’s chair.” He stood, stepping around the dragon. He decided that a shower would be the best way to isolate himself and relax.  
Thor shrugged, his gaze unwavering; he was focused on coaxing the dragon into following him out of the cockpit. “At least you’re finally acknowledging who the captain is here.”   
“Don’t let it go to your head,” Loki quipped, disappearing down the hallway, fully intending to take his time in the shower.   
The bathroom was small like most of the rooms on their ship but they always had hot water and that had become something of a luxury to the former princes. The peace and quiet that came with being alone in that small space was essential for his sanity’s sake. Loki loved Thor dearly, more than anyone or anything else that he’d ever encountered in his entire existence, but his brother’s stubbornness drove him mad at times. Worse yet was agreeing that they were both obstinate. It was often a recipe for disaster when the two of them fought, neither one willing to yield to the other which meant Loki would spend days seething, avoiding Thor as much as possible until finally one of them snapped or, in the best case scenario, they worked things out in bed with few words involved.  
There was a brief moment when Loki considered that Thor might follow after him. It wouldn’t have been the first time and certainly not the last that the two of them crammed themselves into the shower together. But Thor was preoccupied, bonding with his new pet, and Loki held no hope for his brother’s company so he told himself he didn’t want it anyway.  
The shower he took was longer than necessary but there was no reason to rush when he had nothing to look forward to until they landed. Solitude, he supposed. But it was so much easier to enjoy when he knew Thor was just waiting for more attention from him when it was only the two of them.  
Maybe that was the real problem with the dragon; he’d never seen Thor look at anyone or anything the same way his brother looked at him. And while it wasn’t the same look there was something more to it. Thor was so fascinated by it, so head over heels in love with the thing that Loki already felt a twinge of jealousy settling in. He had never been fond of sharing.  
In no better a mood than when he’d entered the shower, Loki stepped out and began to towel himself off, taking a moment to eye himself in the mirror. Thor loved the soft waves in Loki’s hair that came from the way it dried naturally. On more than one occasion, Loki could remember his brother’s fingers sliding through it, his face pressed close as he breathed him in. Each time he’d mentioned how Loki looked especially beautiful that evening. Thor was anything but subtle; it didn’t take a genius to figure out what appealed to him. And, at the end of the day, Loki really only wanted one thing and that was Thor’s love. He couldn’t be blamed for going out of his way to do something that might grab his brother’s attention and return his interest to him over that damned animal.   
He dressed himself in a casual tunic, bare feet padding along the cool metal floor as he made his way to the mess hall where he would undoubtedly run into Thor. Sure enough, he rounded the corner and found his brother tossing a few chunks of rare meat into the dragon’s waiting mouth.   
Loki scowled. “That’s our food.”  
The kitchen was an absolute mess. There were egg shells scattered all over the counter and it looked as though Thor had tried to cook too much in one pan. Egg was splattered on the stove and burned onto the pan.   
Loki’s grimace quickly turned into him gaping at the state of the place. How much of their food had Thor (quite literally) burned through in such a short span of time? It wasn’t the first time he’d walked in on a mess like this and it would undoubtedly not be the last. Ever since they’d gone off on their own Thor had been convinced that he could cook when in reality he didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Loki hated playing the role of housewife, putzing about in the kitchen like he had nothing better to be doing other than doting on his brother, but he had to admit that it was preferable to eating blackened food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  
“Odin’s wolves… Thor, what have you been doing?”  
“Do you think a dragon would eat potatoes?” Thor asked, ignoring Loki’s question. He was too preoccupied digging around in the pantry.   
The longer Loki took to examine his surroundings the more he found wrong with the area. Now he’d noticed there were a few empty bags on the small table at the center of the room, one of the chairs had been knocked over, and crumbs littered the floor.  
“I haven’t the foggiest,” Loki said. “I’m not an expert and I don’t intend to be. But if the beast is anything like you, the only other beast I’m familiar with, it’ll eat anything.”  
Thor took a moment to spare his brother a fond glance. “If you think comparing me to a dragon is an insult you’ve never been more wrong.”  
The urge to roll his eyes crept up on him but Loki resisted. He’d be reaching double digits for the day if he didn’t hold back. He tiptoed around the mess on the floor as best he could, making his way to the cooler to take a look inside. Nothing fresh or frozen was left which meant only prepackaged meals remained. This discovery had Loki scrunching up his nose, slamming the cooler door shut.   
“We need to find ourselves a job when we land.”  
“You worry too much, brother,” Thor said while he chewed. He stepped back from the pantry with a half-eaten loaf of bread in hand. “There are plenty of jobs out there.”  
“Yes but how many of them are worth the time and effort it takes to get paid? We need something big.” Loki grabbed an empty water bottle from the counter and tossed it at Thor’s head. Much to his dismay, his brother caught it without looking. “Do you even understand the concept of rationing food?”  
“I understand, yes, but I need to eat! And Snarler is a growing boy. If we’re to be strong and mighty warriors then we must fill our bellies to the brim! I cannot work on an empty stomach!”  
Loki felt his eye twitch. “You are an overgrown child. If we run out of food before we land I’m going to strangle you. You’ve been warned.”  
Thor chuckled, took another bite from the loaf of bread, then offered the rest to Snarler who didn’t seem to even think twice about eating any of the food that was offered to him.   
“Brother, you couldn’t strangle me if you tried.”  
That sounded like a challenge to Loki. He crossed both arms over his chest, an eyebrow elegantly perked. “You have to sleep sometime, dear brother.” Thor was stronger, there was no question about it, but Loki was far more creative and devious than the god of thunder, who didn’t seem very happy with the direction of their conversation.  
“Try to smother me in my sleep and you will not enjoy what happens next.” Thor’s tone had shifted from playful to serious quite swiftly. They did this sort of thing far too often. One of them would threaten the other, pushing to see who caved first. Some days it was a miracle their ship hadn’t been destroyed yet. When things turned physical it was comforting to know that the hull could withstand Thor’s lightning blasts, but Loki had decided that it was better not to push to see just how much electricity the ship could handle.  
The tension between them dissipated as quickly as it had flared up when Loki changed the subject, now eyeing his nails as if he were completely indifferent to the situation. “I still can’t believe you chose to steal a dragon. A dragon, Thor. Do you realize how many other valuable items you could have taken if it weren’t for your brash decision?” A brief glance at his brother told him that the possibility of a fight breaking out had passed.   
“How can you say that there is anything more valuable than a dragon?” Thor asked, easily distracted by the shift in conversation. Loki knew him far too well.  
Snarler made an odd chirping sound, his wide eyes trained on Loki. Thor took another bite of bread.  
“I can say it because absolutely any of the other treasures you could have stolen from the estate aren’t living, breathing creatures that require food. Our food, Thor.” Loki moved closer, a bold decision. He could see the way Thor tensed, muscles flexing, his feet planted against the floor, battle ready in a second’s passing. Loki wasn’t to be trusted. He had always done his best to keep his brother on his toes, something that he was certain had aided Thor on the battlefield.  
Loki knew it was a bad idea and yet he said it anyway. “We barely have any credits to our name. The smart thing to do would be to sell him.”  
“There is value in things aside from money, brother.” Thor’s tone was sharp. “Think of how useful a dragon could be!”  
“And what, pray tell, are we able to do now that we were unable to before we came to possess a dragon?”  
“He could eat our foes!” Thor boomed. Loki could tell he’d definitely thought about it before their current conversation. The realization brought a smirk to Loki’s face. But they couldn’t keep it. They absolutely could not, no matter how happy it made Thor. Wasn’t Loki enough for him? “He could cook food with his mouth! Can you do that? No, you can’t. I’m sure--”  
“If I changed myself into a dragon I could also cook food with my mouth,” Loki corrected.  
Rather than argue, Thor gave Loki a doubtful look and continued. “I’m certain he’ll be able to fly. He has wings, after all.”  
“And how many years will it be until those things you call wings turn into something useful?” he asked. “He’s certainly not large enough to carry either of us yet. We’ll be feeding him for ages before he can do us any good. And what about when he does finally grow? How big will he become? As big as our vessel? Larger? There are too many variables. There is also the possibility that the people you stole him from,” He wouldn’t lump himself into the same category as Thor. “will come looking for him. Dragons are incredibly rare, Thor, you said it yourself. They may have not had the means to come after us right away but they’ll be back, I’ve no doubt of it. We should rid ourselves of the creature as quickly as possible and fill our empty pockets while we’re at it.”  
“As I’ve already said,” Thor began. “I’ve named him and now I’ve fed him. He’s not going anywhere. He will be loyal to us. Won’t you, Snarler?” His voice changed in pitch, mimicking someone who was speaking to a toddler.  
“You’re completely hopeless and the most stubborn man I have ever met!” Loki seethed, his hands balled up into fists.  
“And you don’t like it when you don’t get your way.” The blond looked up, flashing a smile that only served to infuriate Loki further.   
Two could play that game.  
“You’re right, I don’t, but it certainly doesn’t do you any favors, dear brother. Enjoy sleeping on the couch tonight.” Loki turned on his heels, spinning as he headed towards the hallway that led to their bedroom.  
“Loki!” Thor called after him but the trickster gave no response.


	3. Chapter 3

Sleeping in an empty bed wasn’t really the worst thing that could happen to Loki. He’d gotten used to Thor’s excessive body heat long ago but that didn’t mean he had ever stopped feeling somewhat uncomfortable because of it. Try as he might to tell himself they were the same--Asgardian--there was no denying how different they were. The cold of space barely phased Loki while even Thor complained some nights that he felt a chill. His brother had always run warm, even when they were children who would sneak into bed to sleep beside one another because they couldn’t bear to be apart. All those nights had helped Loki adjust to that uncomfortable feeling, turning it into something more like a security blanket.  
Loki twisted around on the bed and cursed his brother. It didn’t seem to matter that he felt comfortable in his own skin; Thor’s absence made it impossible for Loki to find rest. Sometimes he forgot that he was wrapped around Thor’s finger as much as he saw it the other way around. He sat up, deciding then that he was ready to cave, to seek out Thor who was either asleep in his captain’s chair or sprawled out on the couch in the cargo hold. Only his brother was already standing directly in front of him.  
“Thor!” Loki jolted, startled, a hand flying to his chest to rest over his heart. “What are you doing?”  
Thor seemed just as surprised as Loki did, his eyes a bit wide. “I was about to climb into bed when you sat up.”  
“You’ve been awake this entire time?” Loki asked with an exasperated sigh. “Playing with your new pet, no doubt.”  
“Of course!” Thor beamed as he climbed onto the bed. “You weren’t serious about having me sleep on the couch, were you?” He was laughing the idea off even as he asked the question.  
“When do I ever kid about things like that?” Thor didn’t need to know that he’d been about to run off to go find him. “You’re not sleeping here.”   
But Thor didn’t seem to be listening. He settled onto the mattress and pressed his hand against Loki’s chest to ease him down onto his back.   
“What are you doing?”  
“Shhh.”   
“Thor, I am not in the mood for this,” Loki protested as his back hit the mattress. He found himself held down by the force of his brother’s hand and his heart began to beat a little faster.  
“Are you sure about that?” Thor wasn’t convinced. “I can feel how hard your heart is beating, brother. I know you enjoy it when I hold you down like this, regardless of what you say when I do so.”  
“Have you been drinking? You only say idiotic things that should be kept to yourself when you’ve overindulged.”  
“I only speak the truth, Loki,” Thor purred, shifting closer to press up against his side. He dipped his head down, lips skimming across his brother’s shoulder, working their way inward to his neck.  
It was times like these when Loki wanted to rant about how much he hated Thor, about how much he disliked the way his brother could convince him with such simple touches. It reminded him of how easily Loki was able to sway Thor with his silver tongue. It seemed they each had their areas of expertise.  
As quickly as Loki had tilted his head Thor’s lips were sliding up along the delicate column of his neck, teeth scraping across sensitive skin, pulling a sharp breath from the trickster’s parted lips.   
“Take off your trousers,” Thor muttered, lips refusing to take any sort of leave from Loki’s neck.  
“Must I always do everything?” Sometimes being dramatic was the best way to force Thor to do exactly what Loki wanted him to. Now was one of those times. As expected, Thor slipped his fingers beneath the waistband of Loki’s pants, yanking them down without hesitation or a desire to tease.   
“You don’t do everything,” he growled. “I am the captain, we agreed upon that. I make more decisions than you do.”   
“Like now?” Loki perked a brow, teasing him. He stretched out, allowing his eyes to slide shut, focusing on the feel of Thor’s warm, rough hands on his smooth skin to which Loki responded with a pleased hum. His brother wasted no time tugging his tunic over his head, tossing it elsewhere.  
In a sudden move, Loki grabbed onto Thor’s biceps and shoved him back, quickly throwing himself over the larger man so that he could straddle Thor and rock his hips down against him. He could feel Thor’s cock hardening, straining against the front of his trousers. Loki chuckled as he asked, “What’s this, brother? Hard already? I’ve barely done anything to you.”  
Thor may have not had the patience to tease but Loki lived for it. He couldn’t get enough of the way Thor would squirm beneath him, always ready to fight, even when they were in bed together. With a flick of his wrist and one spoken word, Thor’s arms were pulled down against the bed, holding him in place.  
“Loki! We’ve talked about this. It’s cheating when you use your magic!” Thor growled, bucking his hips up as if he intended to throw his brother off of him. The show he gave only served to amuse Loki more.   
Loki leaned forward, draping himself over Thor so that both hands could slide up the length of each arm until he was able to wrap his slim fingers around Thor’s wrists.   
“Would you prefer if I held you down with my hands like this? Would it make you moan louder?” he hummed, dipping down lower to drag his tongue along the edge of Thor’s ear, ending the contact with a sharp flick that sent a shiver straight up his brother’s spine. Thor was the perfect lover; he always gave everything and never held back. But there was a side of him that he had kept from all but Loki, a part of Thor that his little brother lived to exploit.  
“It doesn’t matter,” the blond sputtered and Loki thought Thor should have known right then that the game was over. He’d shown a sign of weakness and Loki was not going to relent.  
“Perhaps not,” Loki agreed. “But, either way, the problem here is that you enjoy being held down and you just can’t seem to admit to it. Why is that, brother? Does being submissive make you weak?” A sigh of hot air ghosted along Thor’s skin when next he spoke. “Do you think I’m weak?”  
“You know I don’t,” Thor said quickly, tongue darting out to wet his lips. “I don’t think that.”  
Loki threw his head back with a dramatic laugh. “Poor Thor. Pillow talk has never been your forte.” His head rolled forward, hair falling over one of Loki’s sea green eyes. “Fret not, dearest brother, I’ll give you what you need.” To move things along, Loki used his magic, ridding Thor of his clothes. He then promptly sat upright, sliding himself back so that he could easily slip Thor’s cock between his cheeks while he shifted about on top of him. He was more than pleased when his brother sucked in a surprised gasp, head falling back, lips parting…Yet there was no moan which followed.  
Loki pouted but it was all for show. “That’s all? Mm, I thought this was what you wanted.” He said it like he believed it, the god of lies hard at work. “But it’s not, is it? Don’t worry, I know what you desire. What you need.” Loki’s fingertips pressed down into Thor’s chest, allowing his nails to dig in as he dragged them downward, rewarded with a soft hiss. Both hands came to settle on Thor’s abdomen where he lifted himself, changing their position so that Thor’s legs were now loosely wrapped around Loki’s hips. This time when he rolled them it was with the intention of sliding his cock against Thor’s ass, letting his brother know he wasn’t the only one hungry for friction.  
“I’ve been learning all sorts of tricks lately,” Loki said in a breathy voice. “Ones that could benefit us both. You always scold me for locking myself away to study but without that time to myself I would never learn magic that would allow me to do this.” Loki raised his right hand, index and middle fingers held up to display the thick gel that suddenly formed around them. “You’re welcome.”  
Thor laid there speechless for a moment, struggling to find his voice. “Loki, you are very strange.”   
His response earned him a sharp smack that was Loki’s open palm against his brother’s upper thigh. “Watch your tongue or I’ll put it to better use.”  
The threat seemed to be well received as Thor remained silent. There was no need for either of them to speak now. Even Loki could acknowledge the proper time to quiet his venomous tongue. Without wasting another moment he slid both slick digits against Thor’s entrance, tracing around the rim with the pads of his fingers. Each time they did this it was like the first time all over again. Thor was so tense, so...nervous. Loki found it completely endearing. He nudged his fingertips inward, pleased by the moan he was given in return, quickly working them inside so that Thor wasn’t left waiting any longer. The sight of his brother struggling not to writhe beneath him, his cock already filled out, heavy and leaking against his belly, filled Loki with immense satisfaction.  
“I can take it, you don’t need to waste your time on this,” Thor said, panting.   
“I beg your pardon?” Loki’s hand stilled, fingers buried. “Are you implying what I think you are?”  
As usual, Thor noticed his mistake too late. He shook his head the moment it hit him. “No, brother. I--”  
“Quiet,” Loki hissed, jabbing his fingers deeper while he curled them inward. Thor’s thighs quaked, his toes curled, and he was most certainly not quiet when he shouted Loki’s name.   
“If you don’t want these you won’t get them,” he said, slipping both fingers out. Loki manipulated the spell that bound Thor’s wrists to the bed and brought them together above his head. His brother never looked more beautiful than when he was sprawled out on his back, golden locks arranged in a ray around him. He was breathtaking and Loki wanted nothing more than to pull him to pieces until he was thoroughly wrecked.  
With both hands gripping Thor’s thighs he lifted, nudging the head of his cock against Thor’s waiting hole. But before Loki would give him what he wanted he used a bit of his magic on himself, focusing his glamor on his cock, giving himself several extra inches as well as more girth which his brother seemed to notice immediately.   
“Loki!” His jaw dropped, body tensing, though not enough to keep Loki out.   
“Relax. Make it easier on yourself.”  
Thor huffed out a breath, then sucked in a deep one, his eyes closing. At least he was wise enough to take Loki’s advice at a moment like this.   
“Such a good boy,” Loki praised when he felt his brother relax around him. He was quick to take advantage of the moment, nudging his hips forward to drive his cock deeper and oh. The moan that left Thor’s lips was downright sinful. He had to admit that it felt damned good, better than usual, not that he’d had any complaints in the past. The heat surrounding him seemed so much more intense now. “Hook your ankles behind me,” he commanded and Thor did so without protest. That made it much easier to settle on his knees and begin pumping his hips forward into Thor’s body, each drag out a slow move that tested even Loki’s patience. But anything was worth it to see Thor break, to come undone and give himself over to Loki. His words were littered with grunts when he asked: “Should I make it larger?”  
“Loki, please,” Thor groaned, the sound so very close to a whimper.  
“Please fill you even more? Is that what you’d like?” He was having far too much fun with this.  
“Just fuck me. I need you.” Thor rocked down against him, urging Loki to continue.   
“Very well. But only because you’ve been behaving.” Loki even went so far as to release the binding around Thor’s wrists. The moment his brother was freed he was reaching out, one hand on Loki’s waist, the other pressing against his back to pull him down.   
For a moment, there was hesitation on Loki’s part. He was enjoying being the dominant one, holding all the cards in his hand, but resisting Thor was often times more difficult than he liked to admit.   
He willingly bent forward. Thor’s strong arms wound around him, pressing them chest to chest, their faces inches apart.   
“This is much better,” Thor said with a smile as Loki began to rock into him once again, driving his cock in at a new angle which caused the blond to let out a low, throaty moan, his head rolling back against the pillows. What a sight he was to behold.   
“That’s because you’re a sentimental fool.” Loki ducked his head down, lips attaching themselves to his brother’s neck as he sucked and bit the tender skin, mindful not to rub his face against Thor’s coarse beard. That particular feeling was one that he preferred to experience against the inside of his thighs and nowhere else.   
Each push into Thor was driven by purpose. He could feel his brother trembling beneath him, his cock trapped between their bodies. The only touch Loki awarded him was what his stomach gave when he rolled his body against Thor’s. It seemed to be more than enough if the way he squirmed was any indication.  
“Close, aren’t you?” Loki’s words dripped like honey from his lips. His hands roamed across Thor’s body, admiring the firm muscle hidden beneath smooth, tanned skin. “You can come. I know you want to.”  
“Just like that?” Thor asked, his tone suspicious.   
“Mmhm. Go on, Thor,” Loki urged.   
Loki knew he wouldn’t last much longer himself which meant there was no need for Thor to hold back. He felt lightheaded and didn’t want to have to acknowledge it. The last thing he needed was for Thor to make some lewd joke pertaining to him not having enough blood flowing through the rest of his body. His brother’s jokes were always so predictable.   
The girth of his cock expanded just enough to make Thor cry out, fingers digging in, desperate to grab hold of something. Loki watched the build and inevitable crash as Thor’s orgasm washed over him. His body arched up, muscles impossibly tight around Loki, pulling him under the current along with Thor. The two of them toppled over the edge, one after the other, the air filled with a flurry of pleasure filled cries and moans.   
Thor’s flushed face, the sweat on his brow, his hair sprawled out around him… It was enough to cause Loki to take pause, to bring his focus back to the current moment and truly appreciate Thor’s brilliance.  
He didn’t deserve him.  
Each shift of their bodies sent a violent shudder through Loki, forcing him to put an end to the glamor he’d used on himself. Everything was back to its normal size when he slipped free from within Thor, rolling off of him to lie on his back with just enough space between them that they were no longer touching.  
Thor was still recovering, his eyes open now, swiveling around to focus on Loki. It didn’t seem that he’d picked up on Loki intentionally putting space between them as he quickly rolled closer to grab his brother’s arm, tugging him right back over as if Loki were a rag doll.  
“Oaf,” he huffed, trying to wriggle away. Thor was having none of it. “Can’t you tell when I’m not interested in cuddling with you?” He swatted a hand at Thor’s, the one holding him in place. Violence usually got through to him when words didn’t.   
“Did I do something wrong?” Thor asked, still breathing heavier than usual. His hold loosened. He blinked almost owlishly.  
“Idiot. You thought you could weasel your way into bed with me tonight, didn’t you?”  
Thor’s lips pulled downward. “Well, I… I thought...maybe...”  
“So you admit it.” Loki sat up, arms crossed over his chest to properly reflect how annoyed he was. It appear that Thor thought he’d waltz in, convince Loki they should have sex, then conveniently fall asleep beside him.   
“I’d imagine that means your entire plan backfired. The couch awaits, brother.”  
“But I let you top.”  
“Oh, you let me, did you? You simply allowed it to happen rather than asking for it, is that what you’re telling me? My darling brother, if there’s one thing you should know by now it’s that I never forget about my grudges.” And while he wasn’t willing to back down and change his mind he at least had the courtesy to lean over and press a small kiss to Thor’s cheek. “Sleep well.” He grabbed the blanket that had been kicked to the foot of the bed, tugging it up and over himself as he laid back down, shifting onto his side.  
The bed dipped beside him when Thor sat up, then pushed himself off the edge of the mattress. Loki’s back was to him to avoid falling for the kicked puppy look but he could feel his brother’s gaze on him. There was the shuffle of feet across the floor as Thor took the time to pick up his clothes, all of which he found had been discarded there. Soon after came the sound of the door opening and almost immediately closing. Loki was alone. It wasn’t long before exhaustion won over, pulling him into a deep, restful slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days of travel were much of the same. Thor and Loki would argue, usually over something that either the thunderer or the dragon had done that caused a mess or ended with something broken, then they would inevitably make up in time to settle down for the night. Even before the dragon had made it on board it was a common occurrence and one they’d both come to accept.   
Xanus, Loki had learned, was well known for its black market as well as the number of visitors it welcomed with its varying landscapes and cheap vacation packages. With the astounding number of people that went missing each month it was shocking how many were foolish enough to still plan a holiday on the planet. Thor wasn’t privy to that knowledge nor would Loki make an effort to fill him in. His brother could handle even the toughest of situations so Loki hadn’t lost sleep debating whether or not they would be okay in a place likely to be crawling with criminals. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d landed somewhere they didn’t really want to be and it was likely it wouldn’t be the last.  
“What’s taking you so long?” Thor called from outside the ship, standing at the bottom of the ramp that served as an exit from the cargo hold. They’d landed nearly an hour prior and Thor, it seemed, was tired of waiting, eager to explore. “Loki!”   
“I’m coming! I’m coming. You’re so impatient. You’ve been waiting no longer than five minutes. Forgive me if some of us prefer to wear clean clothes every day.”  
Thor looked down at himself as Loki descended the ramp. “My clothes are clean. Maybe you shouldn’t make such a mess all over yourself every day.”  
Loki rolled his eyes for the first time that day. “You are simply an overgrown child whose mother isn’t around anymore to remind you to bathe every few days. You never argued with her, why do you do so with me?” He stopped beside Thor, a hand on his hip, pleased with the obvious once-over he was given. His brother could mock him for the amount of time he spent fussing over his appearance but it was always worth putting up with his complaining when he was rewarded with such an admiring gaze. Loki’s black tunic glittered with emerald and gold. The touch of flair was minute and not nearly as obvious as what Loki usually went for. He’d also gone through the effort of plaiting his hair by hand, a detail Thor seemed to appreciate.   
“I suppose you do clean up well,” he said, fingers loosely spinning through the ends of Loki’s hair.   
“I’d call you a flatterer if you’d been planning to go that direction from the start.” Loki shoved his hand in Thor’s face, stepping past him and into the sunlight.   
“Loki!”   
“What?” He asked with an exasperated groan. It was the kind of sound that all little brothers made at some point in their life. “You’re always yelling my name. That isn’t the way I expected everyone in the galaxy to learn it. Let’s go. I don’t want to spend more time away from the ship than necessary.”   
He didn’t like the idea of leaving the dragon alone but there was no way they could take it with considering how rare the creature was. Everyone on the street would be willing to fight them for it and he’d be damned if he didn’t get paid for the time he spent putting up with the thing. He already had a list of items that needed to be replaced due to their destruction at the mercy of the beast.  
Loki caught his finger on Thor’s belt loop and tugged him along as he took the lead away from the docking bay where they’d landed their small vessel. “I say we split up and talk to the locals,” he began. “And a reminder: If you decide to wander into a bar and get yourself drunk there will be consequences.” His brother may have matured since they took their leave from Asgard but that didn’t mean he ever stopped wanting to party and drink, especially in the company of strangers with whom he could brag to of his past conquests.  
Thor seemed disappointed with Loki’s decision. “Split up?”  
“Yes. Angry with you, remember?”  
“I thought you’d be over that by now. I am.” Thor took a deep breath in and glanced around, apparently in no mood for arguing. “Right. We’ll keep our communicators on and check in with each other in a couple of hours when we can discuss any prospective jobs we’ve come across.” For a moment it seemed as if Thor was about to take off, leaving it at that, but he paused and then cupped Loki’s cheek as he leaned in for a brief but sweet kiss.  
Loki sighed, a soft blush rising on his cheeks. How did Thor always manage to do that so effortlessly? “How dare you.”  
It was with a grin and a wink that Thor stepped away, waving a hand as he turned his back on Loki. The blond hurried out into the crowded street where vendors had set up their shops, the scene bustling with life. It would be easy for anyone to disappear in a place like that. Hotels and taverns littered the area to accommodate the planet’s many visitors, their structures towering above them.  
There was no doubt the city was prospering thanks to the black market and the gambling that took place in what Loki observed to be nearly every establishment he came across. He had no room to pass judgment when it was exactly the sort of place he’d wanted to land.   
It had only taken seconds for Thor to disappear from sight, Loki heading in the opposite direction just to be safe. He had his own business to take care.


	5. Chapter 5

Several hours later Loki contacted Thor and the pair quickly agreed to meet up back at the ship where they would discuss what they’d found. Loki had spent a majority of his time in a casino spreading word about the dragon, seeking prospective buyers, only to be overwhelmed by the offers he’d received. They wouldn’t have to worry about not having enough fuel or risk running out of food for months. He’d even considered the possibility of upgrading their ship or, better yet, looking for a new one.  
In the casino, Loki had spoken with many people. Some of them were a waste of his time while others offered services and sought items they hoped others had for sale. Either he’d stumbled into a place of business that served as a front from the planet’s famous black market or people were just that open with the illegal activities they got up to. Whatever the case, he hoped they weren’t on the planet long enough to find out.  
Inside the ship he found Thor with the dragon draped across his shoulders, seated in the cargo hold, which was just as much a mess as the rest of the ship.   
“What in the nine realms have you two been up to?” Loki sighed, a hand perched on his hip. He tapped his foot, looking between the two, though only one could offer an explanation.  
“Playing, of course. I taught Snarler how to fetch. Look!” Thor raised his hand, brandishing the large stick he’d dragged back to the ship. At least he was no longer throwing their things around as Loki assumed he’d been doing beforehand. Thor tossed the stick across the room and Snarler launched himself off his shoulders, scampering after the piece of wood, returning with it seconds later.  
Thor let out a hearty laugh, both hands on his thighs as he bent down to get closer to the creature. “That was amazing! You are so smart.” He patted Snarler on the head for good measure.  
Loki thought they were both dense. “Truly astounding,” he said, unimpressed. “Now, can we talk about work? Credits, Thor. We need them.”  
“I could get us a dozen jobs right now,” Thor said, standing upright. He pushed his hair over his shoulders and stared expectantly at his younger brother. “What about you?”  
“I could say exactly the same and you know it. We need to narrow down our choices. Now, I spoke to a man who needs a volunteer. There’s absolutely no work involved, all we need to do is show up for some sort of test. He has fuel, which we are low on, and a lot of credits he’d be more than happy to give us for our time and cooperation.”  
Thor seemed apprehensive. “Sounds too good to be true.”  
“I knew you would say that. Trust me, brother.”   
Thor opened his mouth, then closed it. Loki was quite certain he’d been about to say something incredibly stupid and saved himself from another night on the couch. “I try, Loki. But sometimes you make it difficult.”  
A fair thing to say but Loki wasn’t exactly pleased with what he heard.   
“I know,” Loki said, and Thor’s eyebrows shot up, undoubtedly surprised that Loki would admit such a thing. “But if you do as I say we’re going to be very rich in no time at all.”  
“Fine.” Thor sighed, the word drawn out. It seemed that Loki had avoided any possible argument by owning up to his fault. It was likely that Thor wouldn’t have that damned sunshine-bright smile on his face if he’d been aware of Loki’s trickery. His brother stepped in close, arms winding around Loki’s waist, taking no time getting at what he was interested in.  
Loki’s eyes slowly rolled towards the ceiling. “Really?”  
Thor froze. “What?”  
“No.”  
“No?”  
Loki shook his head. “Mm-mn.”  
“But I--”  
“No,” he said firmly, wriggling his way free from Thor’s embrace. It was a skill he still had yet to perfect with so many years of practice under his belt, but he managed with minimal effort this time. “I don’t exactly trust you to follow through with what I say when I tell you to clean up this mess but I’m going to say it anyway. Clean up this mess.” He spoke each of those words with obvious emphasis, jabbing his finger against Thor’s chest for good measure. “I’ve already made arrangements for us to meet up with that man, who happens to be a doctor, by the way. We’re to meet him tomorrow afternoon.”   
Not one to linger when he had better things to do, Loki stepped around his brother and headed for the bedroom. He’d intended to devote his free time to a book of spells he’d recently procured, a subject which was much more interesting than the copious amount of gambling and drinking that went on on Xanus.  
“And don’t you dare crawl into bed tonight or I’ll turn you into a frog,” Loki shouted back in Thor’s direction.   
Thor scoffed. “You don’t even know how to do that!”  
“I would learn just to prove you wrong!”  
When Thor didn’t waste his breath on a comeback Loki took pause to consider that perhaps his brother was wiser than he gave him credit for.


	6. Chapter 6

It was in the wee hours of the morning that Loki was awoken by the covers being suddenly torn off of him and the bed. He rolled over and opened his eyes just in time to see that the dragon was trotting out of the room, happily dragging the blankets with it.  
“Thor!” Loki shouted, well aware there was a high probability that his brother was still fast asleep. Waking Thor was like trying to raise the dead.  
With a listless groan, Loki climbed out of bed, his steps trailing Snarler’s. Even in his drowsy state he was able to catch up to the dragon. Perhaps it was because the beast was toying with him. Regardless of the reason, Loki stomped his foot down onto the edge of the blanket as soon as he’d come close enough.   
“Let go! That does not belong to you!” he hissed.  
Snarler growled at him, his claws digging into the metal grating beneath their feet as he struggled to stand his ground like a dog playing tug-o-war. He held on tight with his powerful jaws.  
Loki tried once more, his patience wearing thin. “Thor!”   
He opened his mouth, ready to put some real volume behind his cries when a particularly harsh pull on the blanket sent a rip down its middle.   
There was nothing graceful about the way Loki tumbled backward or how he ended up sprawled out on the ground. Snarler seemed satisfied, quickly scurrying off with the ragged piece of blanket to some unknown part of the ship.  
With a few muttered curses, Loki pulled himself up off the floor, dusting himself off. His eyes caught the dragon’s tail just as it disappeared around the corner.  
When he found his brother asleep on the couch in the cargo hold he had to stop to appreciate the ridiculous pose Thor had fallen asleep in. He appeared to be doing his best impression of a contortionist as he laid face down, left arm bent back awkwardly so that it was hanging behind his head with one foot up on the air, leaning against the back of the couch. How in the hel could he sleep like that? It had never ceased to amaze Loki how quickly Thor could doze off and rest soundly, even in the oddest places and the most bizarre poses.   
“Wake up,” Loki demanded, digging his index finger into Thor’s ribs.  
Nothing.  
“I said wake up!” He smacked his hand upside Thor’s head and yanked on his hair. That did the trick. Thor jerked awake, staring around wildly for the source of the blow before his eyes settled on his brother. He didn’t say anything, still disoriented from sleep, but he sat up and blinked a few times.  
Loki stood upright with both hands on his hips, his foot tapping impatiently against the floor. “That thing,” he said, gesturing in the direction Snarler had run, “stole the blankets! Right off of me!”  
Thor yawned, smacking his lips together as he mumbled. “What thing?”   
“Your pet.”  
“Snarler?” Thor guessed, as if there were another possibility. “He was probably just cold.”  
Loki narrowed his eyes. “Are you taking his side?” He’d give Thor a chance, just one, to think about what he’d said and correct himself.  
“He’s a baby, Loki,” Thor said, slowly sitting up. He rubbed his neck. Loki thought he deserved whatever pain he was in. “Where did he run off to?”  
“I don’t know and I didn’t bother to go looking. Its behavior isn’t helping me warm up to it.” Thank the Norns it would be out of his hair soon.  
“Calm down,” Thor sighed and stood, pausing to give his brother a heavy pat on the back which caused Loki to wobble slightly. “You’re going to stress yourself out,” he added, feet dragging across the floor as he set off in search of the dragon.   
There was no hope of falling back asleep. It didn’t seem to matter what sort of argument the two of them had, Loki was always far more riled up than Thor. He decided to head to the cockpit to begin looking for their next destination. They’d need to be prepared for when they left Xanus.


	7. Chapter 7

The peaceful silence Loki had found within the cockpit lasted little more than a half hour before the booming sound of Thor’s laughter echoed through the corridor behind him.  
“Brother! Come look!”  
There was no doubt in his mind that Loki would be unamused by the scene he was about to walk into. He rose from his seat and followed the sounds of Thor’s mirth below deck to the engine room where he found his brother kneeling near a heating unit. The dragon was curled up in an array of fabrics it had collected from around the ship. Included in the nest was the half a blanket it had stolen from Loki.  
“He made a nest! He must have been working on it all morning,” Thor beamed proudly.  
Loki stared. “Am I supposed to be impressed?” he asked with a sigh, both arms sliding together across his chest where they rested. “I preferred my blanket on the bed, thank you very much. What am I supposed to stay warm with tonight?”  
Thor stood, casting his most charming of smiles in Loki’s direction. “Fret not, dear brother, you have me.”  
Loki did not return the smile but he did narrow his eyes. If his posture hadn’t been enough to give away his irritation his tone would do the trick. “If I thought you were smart enough to plan something like this I’d accuse you of devising this whole thing so that you wouldn’t be forced to sleep on the couch again.”  
Thor puffed out his chest, no doubt proud of what Snarler had accomplished. “I didn’t plan this,” he said. “He’s just clever.” An infuriating smile stretched across his lips. “Before we see this doctor you spoke of I want to try to find a book about dragons that you can read for me.”  
“Read it yourself,” Loki shot back, spinning on his heels to exit the room. “I’ve had just about enough of this obsession with your pet!” He didn’t make it two steps before Thor was crying out after him.   
“Loki! Oh, come on. I don’t see why you’re always so mad.”  
“Really?” Loki spun back around, eyes as sharp as his daggers. The smile swiftly dropped from Thor’s face. “I’m angry because you never think before you open your mouth, let alone before you act! You’re incredibly selfish. You never once asked if I wanted that stupid thing here with us, you just did it. That’s one reason I’m angry, but trust me, there are plenty more.”  
Thor blinked. It seemed he needed a moment to process what he’d heard before he could form a response. “I’m selfish? Loki, you are the one who is angry because he ate your blanket. If I hadn’t brought him along he’d still be trapped in that cage with those horrible people. He was nothing more than a prize to them, a decoration, and yet you stand here and say that I am the selfish one? A slight inconvenience is worse to you than allowing a rare and innocent creature to spend his life knowing little more than pain and loneliness.”  
“It seems you have a type.” The words left the trickster’s lips before he could consider what doors he might have opened by comparing himself to the beast. He held up a hand to signal that he was done with the conversation and proceeded to make a rather abrupt departure. With his hands balled up into tight fists he stormed through the ship, back to their bedroom where he could sit in silence while his brother remained in the company of his new best friend.


	8. Chapter 8

Hours passed while Loki spent his time alone. It had been early still when he’d gotten out of bed to chase after the dragon and his blanket, leaving him with plenty of free time to do whatever he wished until their appointment with the doctor. The hours slipped by while he kept his mind busy with books that would help to advance his magical abilities. Recently he’d been researching the use of a particularly difficult spell that required specific ingredients including a willingly given sacrifice.  
It was times like these, his nose buried in a book, when he missed their mother the most. She had always been a source of strength and guidance for Loki, someone who kept him in check when most others didn’t see the point in wasting their time on him. She’d been one who had gifted him his first book of spells, encouraging him to focus on his strengths when the other children laughed at him for being physically weak compared to them. He had always been so different from the others, though now that he was an adult who knew the truth about his past that was no surprise, but his dissimilarities stretched beyond that of originating from Jotunheim. For most of his life he’d known of only Asgard as his home, yet that hadn’t stopped him from becoming the black sheep. Sometimes it was easy to blame Thor. He was the golden child, after all, the one chosen to rule the throne. Loki could never live up to that, could never be as equally as important as Thor had been to Odin. That was what had drawn him to magic. The possibilities were endless and with the power he worked to obtain he knew he could better himself. Those abilities had not only given him the capability to find his own inner strength but it had helped him to blossom, to become someone who could be a valuable ally. That was when he’d finally managed to capture Thor’s attention.  
“Loki!” The voice that came booming from the opposite side of the door startled Loki so badly that he nearly toppled over. He was always so much more graceful when Thor wasn’t sneaking up on him like that. “If you don’t open the door I’m going to break it again,” Thor threatened, barely giving Loki a chance to respond.  
“Don’t you dare!” Loki exclaimed. He slipped off the bed and hurried to the door, but not too quickly. He didn’t want Thor to be under the impression that he was afraid of the consequences if he didn’t listen.  
His brother stood with a furrowed brow on the other side of the door, arms settled across his broad chest.  
“Why do you look so upset?” Loki asked, leaning against the doorframe to block the entrance to the bedroom.  
Thor’s fingers gripped his biceps, digging in noticeably just before he took a step forward. Loki was caught completely off guard when Thor reached his hand out to wrap around his brother’s throat. The trickster’s hands flew up, grasping Thor by his wrists. “Have you gone mad?”  
“Sometimes this is the only way to get your attention,” Thor hissed, fingers tightening enough to apply pressure.  
“You have my attention, brother,” Loki assured him. “But if you do not unhand me I may have to retaliate with a blade in your side. You tend to fall for that one so easily. It’s, as you would say, a classic.”  
“I wouldn’t be so proud of that,” Thor growled, his temper rising. “Your untrustworthiness is not exactly your best trait.”  
“You’re being dramatic, stop that.” It was an attempt to tease, to calm Thor, or at the very least distract him from whatever it was he was angry about. “You must be spending too much time around me.” He cracked a smile, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.  
Thor released his hold rather abruptly but the air was still thick with tension.  
“What are you so upset about now?” The younger god asked, a hand rubbing over his throat.  
“What is that?” Thor pointed to the oversized book that was perched on the edge of the bed, ignoring Loki’s question completely. “I’ve never seen you with that book. Where did you get it?” He used his size to push his way past Loki, stepping into the bedroom and towards the book in question.  
There was something about his brother’s curiosity that put Loki on edge. There was no way Thor could know what sort of spells were written on those pages, yet Thor seemed to have developed a sixth sense for detecting when Loki was up to no good.  
“Since when do you pay attention to the books I have? It’s not like you can even read.”  
“I don’t like this one,” Thor said simply, ignoring the bait Loki dangled in front of him. He picked up the book and began to flip through its pages. Loki moved closer, one step at a time. Thor’s anger seemed to have dissipated but if he paid close enough attention to the words on the pages there was a chance his temper would rise once more.  
“You’ve been practicing black magic again, haven’t you?” He snapped the book shut, eyes shifting their focus to Loki who had frozen mid-step and looked akin to a deer caught in the headlights.  
“Only reading, brother. It’s all in theory.”  
“Which is how it starts. You’re far too curious to leave it at that.”  
“And what do you think is going to happen here? You’ll stop me from ever reading or doing anything you don’t like again?” Loki laughed, amused. “Cute.”  
“Do not condescend to me!” Thor barked, tossing the book aside.  
“Don’t make it so easy,” Loki purred. He picked up the book and used his magic to return it to the space where he kept all his prized possessions. Out of sight and out of Thor’s mind, he hoped. He took a seat on the edge of the bed and elegantly crossed one leg over the other.  
Seconds ticked by, the wheels no doubt struggling to turn inside Thor’s thick skull until he was able to piece together a comeback. “At least I don’t dress like a witch!”  
Loki chuckled. “Are you really incapable of losing a single argument? Honestly. I suppose I’ll congratulate you on your attempt at a verbal retort rather than using your fists.”  
Thor looked like he was about to snap. “Don’t test me, brother.”  
“Or what? You’ll teach me a lesson?”  
“I’ve taught you many lessons, Loki,” said the blond. He approached his brother where he’d perched himself on the edge of the mattress. “But they never seem to stick.” He made the sudden decision that on top of Loki was where he wanted to be, straddling the smaller man’s hips as he shoved him back.  
“Get off of me, you oaf.” He wasn’t going to let Thor get what he wanted, not now. One of them had to put their foot down from time to time and the burden rested upon Loki’s shoulders more often than not. “Or I’ll move you myself.”  
“Was that a threat?” Thor snorted, effectively ruining Loki’s lifted spirits. “We both know you aren’t strong enough.”  
Sometimes Loki thought Thor said those kinds of things on purpose. It was one of the proverbial buttons he liked to push. The big red kind that sat nestled inside a glass case and simply couldn’t be resisted.  
“What we both know is that you are trying to start a fight and I’m not falling for it, not this time.” His expression softened. “We should get ready. It’s nearly time we left.”  
Thor seemed to consider his options until his shoulders visibly relaxed and he moved off of Loki, stretching out beside him. It appeared that the olive branch had been accepted. “If I see you with that book again I won’t be pleased.”  
Loki rolled onto his side, draping himself over Thor, his forearms pressed against the elder’s chest to keep himself propped upright. “Duly noted.”


	9. Chapter 9

“I really don’t see what all the fuss is about. He wants something, we want something. Is it not an even trade?”  
Thor grunted, his eyes trailing up and down the man dressed in the white lab coat suspiciously. “I don’t trust him.”  
The waiting room they stood in was brightly lit by rows of long, glowing tubes that hung suspended from the ceiling. The light was unnatural and did nothing to put them at ease.  
“Well,” Loki began. “You are the one who wanted to keep that thing. The two of us are going to run out of food in a few days time which means we need credits immediately. If you haven’t noticed, this place isn’t quite the paradise they like to advertise it as.”   
As much as Loki loved Thor it was so easy to lie to him. The credits he planned to procure wouldn’t come from the man before them but the events that were about to transpire would undoubtedly give Thor a reason to leave Loki’s company for some time. This, now, was all an act to get something Loki wanted for himself. That spell that had intrigued him so required some oddly specific items, one of which was a piece of a loved one. Now, logic told Loki that a spell which asked for something that would physically and most likely mentally hurt the loved one it was taken from probably meant that it was the sort of thing he shouldn’t have been dabbling in, but he craved more power, the sort that instilled fear into those who would dare oppose him.  
Thor had once told him that the throne would not suit him. Maybe he was right. Or perhaps it was that Loki was simply meant to be the tyrannical sort of king.  
His attention snapped back to the current moment when Thor bumped their shoulders together.  
“You said he wants something. What exactly is it that he wants?”  
“To test a new device on one of us,” His voice was smooth, careful to keep Thor calm. If his brother became overly suspicious he had a feeling fists would fly or he would simply leave and Loki would have to come up with another cover for the credits the dragon was going to earn him.  
“A device? It doesn’t even have a name yet. All important things have names. And I know when you say ‘one of us’ you mean me,” Thor said wisely.  
Loki’s lips curled upward. “Such a smart boy.” He patted his hand against his brother’s cheek. “Will you agree or not? He promised we’ll both live if that helps sway you one way or another. This is a planet crawling with dishonest criminals, Thor. He’s being civil.”   
Loki gestured ahead and stepped forward to approach the doctor as if he intended to do whatever was being asked of them rather than wait for Thor to volunteer. Unsurprisingly, Thor took the bait and hurried ahead, always eager to live up to the bravery associated with a name like “The Mighty Thor.”  
The brothers followed the doctor, stepping into a pristine white room bordered with a gleaming blue-silver. There was a reclined chair with armrests and a table with an odd looking mechanism--no doubt the device in question--resting on it. Loki thought it looked comparable to a small grappling gun. Another secret he’d kept from Thor was that he knew exactly what the device was to be used for. It was what had drawn him to the doctor, after all.  
“Take a seat, my boy.” The doctor spoke, looking up over the rim of his comically thick glasses to glance between the two. Loki wondered if he could make out their features at all if he needed lenses that dense to work.  
Thor did as he was told, taking up residence in the seat, his hands clutching the ends of the armrests while Loki stepped up beside them. He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, hoping to reassure him. It worked for long enough, anyway. Metal straps closed around his Thor’s forearms, then around his waist, holding him firmly in place.  
“What is this?” Thor demanded, immediately fighting against his restraints.  
“Relax,” Loki said, jumping in before the doctor could. The two of them exchanged glances and the man went back to seeing all the preparations through while Loki distracted Thor. “It’ll be quick, brother. A matter of seconds.”  
It seemed to sink in then that Loki knew more than he was letting on. Thor’s attention snapped to Loki and stayed there until the younger met his gaze. Loki felt his stomach twist. “Thor…”  
“Loki, what have you done?”   
Loki tried to speak but none of the words that came to mind felt right in his mouth.  
The doctor turned back with a giant syringe in hand which he promptly shoved the needle of into Thor’s bicep, causing the man to let out a guttural cry.   
“How dare you!” Thor shouted, tossing about. However, the attempt to free himself didn’t last for long before the effects of the sedative began to sink in. Loki felt his brother go slack under his touch. His grip tightened.  
Just as Loki had said, it was quick. The opiate went to work instantaneously but it wasn’t meant to last for long. The doctor lifted the device and placed it over Thor’s right eye, made a few quick adjustments, then pressed a button that did all the work.   
The pointed end opened up, forcing Thor’s eyelids apart. The last thing he would ever see out of that eye was a cylindrical tube coming down, sucking his eyeball clean out of the socket with a wet slurp.  
Thor’s lips parted wide but no sound escaped him. Instead, he sucked in a sharp breath, shock settling in. Loki’s fingers tightened further, his knuckles white. His brother was strong but watching the moment when pain flooded into Thor, knowing that he was the reason for it, caused his stomach to twist up in an unfamiliar way.  
The straps fell away from Thor’s body but he didn’t move. Instead, he turned his remaining eye on Loki. No words were necessary; Loki knew exactly what Thor was feeling. The anger. The pain. The disappointment. He had to look away.  
“The operation was a success!” The doctor cheered. His victory was brief.   
Thor was out of the chair with the man pinned to the wall in a flash of blue light. Sparks danced around his fingers where they gripped the man by his throat.  
“I should kill you for that,” he growled.  
Loki moved too, snatching up the eye which he magicked away for later use. He’d only accomplished his task seconds before he was thrown across the room by a fistful of lightning to the face, Thor’s hands wrapping around his neck before he could even think to recover.  
“Thor, listen to me--” His words were cut off when pressure was applied.  
“It’s not his fault. It’s yours,” Thor spat. Blood ran down his face in one thick line from his empty eye socket to his jaw where it dripped onto Loki’s cheek. “How could you? After all the times I’ve told you that I trust you!”  
“You were a fool each and every time you chose to put your faith in me, brother.” Loki’s words lacked the venom he’d hoped they would have. “Go ahead,” he goaded. “Hit me. Yell at me. Tell me how much you hate me.”   
Thor’s grip loosened, the sparks dissipating. “No.”   
“No?” That didn’t make sense. He must have misheard. Thor was the ‘hit first, think later’ type.   
“No.” Thor repeated a second time. He let go and stood, towering over Loki. The thunderer took a few steps back, his gaze lingering on his brother where he laid sprawled on the floor. He turned his back on Loki, the sound of his uneven footsteps echoing in the small room. Neither Loki nor the doctor dared to move until they were certain Thor had left.  
It had all happened so quickly that the doctor didn’t seem to know what to make of the situation, still slumped against the wall, eyes wide. Thor had always had a knack for leaving people speechless for one reason or another.  
With some effort, Loki dragged himself to his feet. He had a few minor aches but nothing that wouldn’t soon pass. His plan to drive Thor away temporarily may have worked better than he had anticipated. He seemed more hurt than Loki had expected. It left Loki wondering if his brother had been wounded emotionally more than physically.   
That sinking feeling in his stomach didn’t seem to be going anywhere either. He’d done something wrong, something terrible. He’d hurt Thor in a way that he hadn’t even really understood until that very moment and now, what seemed so suddenly, he felt guilt seeping in and clutching tightly.  
He didn’t say anything to the doctor as he took his leave.


	10. Chapter 10

The ship felt oddly empty. Loki had been on board it without Thor plenty of times but things were different now. Chances were he only felt that way because he wasn’t really alone. He told himself that was the reason and that it had nothing to do with the remorse he couldn’t seem to shake.  
The dragon was there, somewhere, and Loki was going to have to corner it. Restraining a magical creature would be no small feat even if the creature in question was an infant. He’d have to keep his guard up.   
Finding the dragon wasn’t especially difficult. All Loki had to do was follow the sounds the thing made, it’s grunts as loud and obnoxious as Thor’s. There was the occasional crashing sound, metal clamoring against metal, that told him he would find the thing nosing about in the kitchen, looking for food no doubt.  
As expected, Loki spotted the dragon up on the counter with its head shoved inside one of the cabinets, munching on a bag that may or may not have still had food inside of it. Loki approached the beast with caution, his hands held out to show that they were empty when he’d caught its attention.   
It didn’t matter that the beast had never attacked him, Loki didn’t trust it. It was still a dragon, after all. Something capable of ripping him to shreds if it wanted and without Thor there he had no idea how it would react.  
The dragon stopped what it was doing, dropping itself from the counter to sit on the floor, facing the god who tensed and stood at the ready, prepared to defend himself. It moved suddenly, scampering across the floor, it’s tail whipping about wildly as it darted at Loki. The thing moved as quickly as an angered Thor, effectively knocking Loki to the ground where it then beared its weight down and pinned him in place.  
“Odin’s eye! Get off of me!” he shouted, hands shoving at the creature. A strong sulfur odor permeated from the dragon. It needed a bath, badly, and from the smell of it’s rancid breath a new diet. He felt his stomach lurch just as he gave another hard shove, this one aided by a little push of magic. It was enough to move the dragon and just in time; Loki narrowly avoided Snarler’s tongue as it seemed to have been headed directly for his face.  
“Disgusting,” Loki spat, scrambling to get back on his feet. He wasn’t wasting another minute on this nonsense. He felt like a fool for believing that it might harm.  
The dragon looked up to him, it’s wide eyes drooping sadly. It seemed it had been under the impression Loki would play with it the way Thor liked to. Instead, Loki summoned a collar to his hand that had been imbued with a binding spell. He took advantage of that kicked puppy look and attached the collar around its neck. The effect of the spell was instantaneous.   
Ready to be on their way, Loki tossed a bit of glamor on top to make the dragon appear as if it were a wolf, ensuring that the walk to the casino would be a much easier one. And although the spell he’d placed on the collar served its purpose, there was no doubt that the dragon was fighting it. Young and stupid but with instincts it couldn’t ignore, Loki found himself almost admiring the creature. It reminded him a bit of his brother. But he wasn’t attached to it, not like Thor, and he wouldn’t let such a thing happen. He was about to be a very rich man thanks to Snarler.  
They left the ship together, Loki with a bit of pep in his step, the wolf-disguised dragon following along willingly. Its head turned this way and that as it peered about curiously.   
They exited the hanger bay and emerged out into the bustling street where Loki took a moment to pause, glancing down at Snarler. What he did next was odd. It felt strange and he would scoff at himself for it a moment later but he had a feeling the creature would understand him when he said “We’re going to see Thor. He’s waiting for us.”  
Sure enough, the wolf’s head perked up, it’s tail wagging, tongue hanging from its mouth. Loki may have felt a bit foolish speaking to it but it seemed to do the trick.


	11. Chapter 11

It didn’t dawn on Loki to worry about his brother. Thor was fully capable of taking care of himself. He was the older brother, after all. What his mind did dwell on was the repercussions that would follow the choice he’d made. His brother had agreed when it came down to technicalities but he knew that if he’d asked Thor if he would give up a part of himself to aid Loki in his magic that Thor would have told him it was magic he shouldn’t be messing with. So Loki didn’t worry about his brother. He worried about himself. Worried and wondered why he tried so hard to push away the only person in the galaxy that mattered to him.  
Now was not the time for such sentimental thoughts, Loki reminded himself. He had a job to do. If Thor wasn’t going to look out for their best interest then he would be the one to take charge.  
As Loki and Snarler entered the casino he swiftly shifted himself into a female guise. Her curvaceous figure filled the skintight snakeskin patterned dress she now wore, and a fluffy fur cape matching that of Snarler’s glamored fur draped across her shoulders. She had dressed for the occasion, ready to catch anyone’s eye who happened to glance in her direction. Her long, brunette hair spilled over her shoulders, cascading down her back, eyes lined with black.   
Finding her buyer wasn’t a difficult task. Anton Lavode was at the same roulette wheel where she’d chatted with him before. There was little doubt that he was surrounded by those who owed him money and played in the hopes of paying off their debt. The bodyguards poised at his sides helped to deter those who lost from making any rash decisions. From what Loki had heard of Lavode he was not the type of man you ever wanted to owe a favor.   
“And who is this lovely creature?” asked Lavode, his piggy eyes taking their time as they trailed down Loki’s body.  
She smiled, her painted lips curling upwards at the corners. “A friend. I come with a gift.” She motioned to the wolf, her eyes on Lavode, watching as his clever mind fit the pieces together.   
He smiled wide in return, motioning her closer. “Brought me my new investment, have you? Why, if I had my way I’d take the pair of you.” His arm slid around Loki’s waist the moment she was close enough for him to touch.  
“Aren’t you sweet?” she cooed and touched a hand to the man’s chest. “You don’t have to win me over, sweetheart. You’ve already done that. Now, I’ve shown you mine. Let me see what I came here for.” Her voice was friendly but firm and all business.  
Lavode chuckled. “And they say men have a one-track mind.”  
Loki grinned with a flash of teeth, her pearly whites a stark contrast against the black that painted her lips. “I have my priorities straight, that’s all.”  
“Fair enough. Come.” Lavode slipped away from the table, his guards trailing a few paces behind him and Loki, who had fallen into step at his side. And while Snarler continued to follow along it seemed the creature was becoming apprehensive.  
The group weaved their way through the crowd until they came to an elevator which took them up several dozen stories to a private floor. The doors opened up to reveal a wide open lounge area complete with a bar, a small stage where live music could be performed, and a dozen or so screens which showed what was happening at the many tables on the main floor of the casino.   
Loki stepped out, following the rotund man as he crossed the space quickly despite his short stride. She let her eyes wander about the room, mindful not to let her guard down. She didn’t trust anyone, especially someone willing to hand over a large amount of money for a living thing.   
“Drink?” Lavode asked. He had approached a desk at the far corner of the room, digging through one of the drawers until he’d produced a small data pad which he held out as he returned to Loki’s side.  
“That would lovely. I’ll have whatever he usually has,” she said. One of the bodyguards left his post beside the elevator doorway, taking his place behind the bar where he began to mix their drinks.  
With a wave of her hand the glamor that disguised Snarler disappeared to reveal the dragon’s true form. Lavode’s eyes went wide.  
“By the gods…”  
“Just one, actually,” Loki corrected, taking the data pad from the man’s pudgy fingers. There was a document waiting for her which read the terms of their agreement, that she was giving up full ownership of the dragon in exchange for five million credits. That was easily more than all the money they had made combined from their previous jobs. More credits and only a quarter of the work. She didn’t have to think twice as she signed her name and handed the pad back, accepting the blue drink that was held out to her.  
“A toast,” Lavode announced, lifting his glass. “To getting what we want.”  
Their glasses chimed as they touched them together, and both indulged in hearty gulps.   
They sat and chatted for a while as Loki shared as much information as she could about the dragon during the time it had been under her watch. There wasn’t much to tell but Lavode seemed to appreciate the information nonetheless.  
A little over an hour had slipped away before Loki realized just how long she had been in that room with him. “It’s late, and I’m afraid I must take my leave.” She drained her third glass, setting it aside, then stood, only the slightest bit tipsy. “Now, remember that the collar will keep him docile but the longer he wears it the more likely it is that the spell will lose its potency. I would move him to a cage by the end of the night or he’ll be trying to escape.”   
Already it was restless, pacing about, whining as it cast glances in Loki’s direction. As soon as she stood it perked up and appeared hopeful, but that hope was crushed when Loki passed the lease over to Lavode.   
“You’ve been marvelous, my lady.” He took delicate hold of her hand and kissed the top. “If you’re ever in the market to sell more rare creatures please keep me in mind.”  
“You’ll be my first contact, don’t you worry.” She tapped the tip of her index finger to his nose which caused him to giggle, his cheeks rosy thanks to the alcohol he’d consumed.  
He walked her to the elevator where they said their farewells, one of the bodyguards accompanying her. She didn’t look at Snarler but could feel his eyes on her as the doors slid shut.   
Two betrayals in one day. She was on a roll.


	12. Chapter 12

When Loki returned to the ship, now back in his usual male form, he had expected to find it empty. Instead, he was greeted by Thor, who rose the moment Loki entered the cargo hold. His brow was furrowed, posture rigid, and that thick tension seeped into the air between them once again.  
“Where have you been?” He roared, honing in on Loki. He grabbed him by his shoulders, pushing him back until he was trapped between himself and the wall. “Where is Snarler?!”  
“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” Loki said, barely masking his surprise. But he came up with an excuse as easily as always. “He ran off. I was out looking for him. I came back to the ship after our...appointment and found him waiting at the door. I would assume he was hoping it was you and when he saw only me he nearly knocked me over dashing out.”  
“Why don’t I believe you?” Thor growled. His powerful grip pulled Loki away from the wall only to shove him back again. Electricity began to crackle around them.  
“Because I’m dishonest and I’ve been quite clear about that in the past. You’re finally beginning to catch on. It only took you… What? A millennium?” Up close like this Loki was glad to see that Thor had at least gone through the effort of finding their first aid kit to place gauze over his empty eye socket. His stomach twisted up tightly, knotted with guilt all over again.  
“What is wrong with you?” Thor demanded, now shaking Loki like a ragdoll in his bruising grip. “Are you truly this selfish? I can love more than just you!”  
Thor’s words shocked him more than his presence within the ship. It felt as if Thor could see right through him. Loki had never felt so vulnerable. “What does that have to do with anything?”  
“You’ve been jealous of Snarler since the moment I brought him on board. You think that because someone else has captured my attention that I’ve given up on you, which isn’t true at all!”  
“Thor, this is nonsense.”  
“Listen to what I have to say, brother.” His grip loosened but it seemed he wasn’t about to let Loki slip away. “I love you. Do you hear me? I love you more dearly than anything.” Both hands shifted from Loki’s shoulders to his cheeks, cradling his face in his calloused hands.   
“You shouldn’t.” Loki’s gaze faltered, his eyes drifting to the side, but Thor shook his head with his hands and brought Loki’s attention straight back to him. “If you ever chose to return to Asgard--”  
“I won’t. You mean more to me than the throne ever did.”  
Damn him. Damn his brother to hel and back. “Why?”  
“Because I know who you really are. I can see past the god of mischief and lies and I know there’s more to you. I see it all the time.” Thor’s thumbs slid across Loki’s cheeks, ready to wipe away any tears that fell.  
“I can’t believe you’re doing this right now.” Loki nearly laughed. “After what I’ve done to you… You truly are the golden child.”  
Thor’s chest rose and fell with a soft sigh, his hands slipping away to return to his sides. “I’m still angry with you. And you’ve managed to effectively destroy what little trust I had for you. But…”  
Loki finished for him. “But you love me.”   
Thor nodded. It was his turn to lower his gaze. It was then that Loki realized it wasn’t his brother’s bravery that was his weakness, it was Thor’s devotion to him.  
Sentiment.  
It was then that Loki made a choice and with a deep breath he said “I know it won’t change what I’ve done, but...I sold Snarler.”  
“Loki! How could you? He’s priceless and he’s our ally!”  
“We had less than twenty credits to our name, Thor. I had to put food in our bellies and fuel in the ship. That dragon was eating everything!”  
“We could have easily made enough credits to scrape by doing honest work! Snarler may have even been able to help us!”  
“Snarler is an expensive pet. With the credits I was given for him we can buy you a different pet. What about a goat? You always liked them. Thor?”  
His brother had crossed to the opposite side of the room, approaching their weapons cache, where he dug around inside until he found a suitable blaster.  
“What are you doing?”  
“I’m going to find Snarler.” Thor said simply.  
“You don’t even know where he is.”  
“You’re right, I don’t. But you do.” The blond shoved a pair of identical blasters into Loki’s hands, flashing a very forced grin.  
Loki looked down at the blasters, then at Thor. “What do you expect me to do with these? Join the rescue mission?”  
Thor holstered his weapon and made way for the exit. “You owe me one, brother.”  
That was all it took for Loki’s tongue to turn to lead. He supposed Thor had a point. Luckily for him, Loki did want to make things right again.


	13. Chapter 13

Lavode wouldn’t willingly return Snarler to them. Their deal had gone smoothly because the two of them understood each other which was precisely why Loki knew that asking for the return of the dragon would be a waste of time.  
“We might as well burst in there, guns blazing. You tend to leap to that conclusion rather quickly anyway,” Loki said as the two of them walked side by side down the street. It had been Thor in the lead just moments ago until Loki had decided that nudging him in the correct direction was going to get old very quickly. “Keep in mind that we don’t know if the dragon is still there.”  
“Snarler. His name is Snarler.”   
“Yes, I’m aware of that, thank you for the reminder. As I was saying--”  
“Call him by his name. It’s always the dragon or the beast. And it. He is not an it, Loki.” Thor kept his eye focused straight ahead, doing his best to dance around those walking toward him in the thickness of the crowded street. It was going to take time for him to adjust to the way he saw things now, something that had already crossed Loki’s mind. He walked on his brother’s blind side, helping to guide him through the throng of people, but noticed plenty of shoulders bumping into him.  
Loki took a deep breath. “My apologies, brother. May I continue?”  
“Go on,” Thor grunted.  
“The man I sold Snarler to, Lavode, he isn’t the sort who will see reason. As far as he’s concerned Snarler is now his property. Even if we were to offer his credits back to him he would, without a doubt, refuse. He has a collection of rare creatures and offered double what anyone else did. He may not be a fighter but he has wealth which awards him protection.”  
Thor’s teeth began to grit together. He turned his eye on Loki but not for long. “You seem to know a great deal about this Lavode.”  
Whatever Thor was implying, Loki didn’t like it. “We spoke over drinks while we celebrated the arrangement. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what sort of man he is. Here we are,” he said, gesturing to the casino on their right, thankful that Thor didn’t make an effort to pursue what Loki was certain his brother had been about to accuse him of. His skin crawled when he thought back on the few times Lavode had laid his hands on him.  
Dusk had begun to fade into nighttime, the building’s bright neon signs illuminating their faces with an ethereal hue as they approached. A scrolling marquee advertised the arrival of a spectacular creature that was guaranteed to astound. Lavode certainly hadn’t wasted any time drawing in a crowd.  
“That must be it--erm, Snarler,” Loki quickly corrected, pointing to the sign which Thor had yet to notice.  
“Money.” Thor muttered under his breath, the pair of them approaching the establishment. “It’s always about money.”  
It would have been easy for Loki to lecture how money and power were often the driving forces in the universe but he elected to bite his tongue. Instead, he thought about something better to say, and countered with, “What’s our plan of attack?”  
“Just that. Attack.”  
Of course. Loki gave a fond roll of his eyes. Without warning, he transformed himself into a small silver fox, his tail so long and fluffy that it dragged on the ground behind him as he slipped inside the front doors.  
“Loki!” Thor took off after his brother, not about to be left behind.  
The fox darted around the feet of the patrons that littered the casino, only taking pause to look for signs which would direct them to the showroom where they were likely to find the dragon on display.  
In such a small form it was much easier to make it through the horde even if it meant constantly darting out of the way of feet which threatened to kick or step on him. Loki had always been quick on his toes and taking the shape of such a compact creature only served to hone that trait. He glanced back a few times to be certain Thor was keeping up and paused when he spotted a set of large metallic double doors at the end of a long corridor. He planted his rear and waited.   
A guard stood on each side of the entrance, checking tickets before they would allow anyone inside. That had to be it. And while Snarler was meant to be the main attraction it seemed the price was too steep for there to be much of a line, only a handful of people passing during the time he’d been sitting there.  
When Thor had caught up and paused at Loki’s side the fox looked up, his tail swishing from side to side. He stared expectantly.   
“What?” Thor stared down at him. Loki didn’t speak. “You’re going to make me do all the work, aren’t you?” Thor could be clueless but he was at least smart enough to know that he was the brawn while Loki was the brains.  
The fox yipped, his tail swishing about.   
“Fine.” Thor grunted. His steps echoed down the hallway as he approached the men guarding the double doors.  
“That thing with you, sir?” The shorter of the two guards asked, his body tilted to the side so that he could see around Thor’s broad frame to watch the fox as he trailed along behind.  
“He is,” Thor confirmed. He looked down to see Loki now seated at his feet.  
“Mr. Lavode would pay you a pretty penny for the lil guy--Whoa!”  
The words had barely left his mouth when Thor swung his fist at the man’s face. A solid thwack! from his closed hand was enough to send the guard spinning on his heel before he teetered over and fell to the ground, out cold.  
Simultaneously, Loki had transformed back into his male Asgardian form. At close range he knew better than to try to shoot his blaster and risk having the thing shoved in his own face. Instead he knocked the butt of it against the taller guard who had only enough time to gape in surprise at both Thor’s attack and Loki’s metamorphosis.   
The second guard collapsed but seemed to be clinging to consciousness, his hand outstretched as if he intended to crawl across the floor. Thor finished what Loki had started, knocking the heel of his foot against the man’s forehead and in a single swift move the guard had gone completely still.  
“We do make an excellent team, don’t we?” Loki said, looking pleased with the both of them.  
“We always have,” Thor agreed, his tone flat. “When one of us isn’t going behind the other’s back. Let’s go.”  
He deserved that. Holding back a sigh, Loki followed Thor’s lead through the heavy, double doors. Inside, the room was crowded but not as packed as one might expect it to be, filled with elites--politicians, entrepreneurs, and anyone else who had their pockets filled to the brim. It seemed that for now only the rich were allowed to lay their eyes on the creatures within. Or, more than likely, the newest addition was what had drawn in this particular crowd. Most people were aware of the existence of dragons but few had ever laid eyes upon one. Bragging rights, Loki thought. To be able to tell stories of how they’d seen one up close and personal.  
The room was lined with extravagant ornate cages that glittered under the overhead lights. They had been built not only to ensure the creatures held inside didn’t escape but that they blended in with the decor. But a cage was a cage no matter how you dressed it up. Loki had spent enough time locked away to see past the facade.  
“What is this? Some sort of a… a menagerie?” Thor glared about the room, fingers flexing inward to form tight fists. Loki thought his brother’s mind must have immediately wandered to Snarler and how he’d been treated. The dismal looks on the creatures surrounding them weren’t exactly reassuring.  
“It would seem so. I knew Lavode had a collection but…” He stepped up to a molting phoenix with its head dipped down, uninterested in anyone who approached it. “It doesn’t seem that he cares much how they are treated.”   
When Loki turned to move on he was surprised to see Thor watching him.   
“Now do you see, brother? This was precisely why I took Snarler in the first place. A life behind bars is no life at all. He deserves freedom.”  
“And you’ve always wanted a pet dragon, let us not forget that.” Loki said, prodding a finger against Thor’s chest. “Yes, fine. I understand. Now let’s find him and get the hel out of here.”  
It seemed his answer was good enough for Thor as the blond made his way through the crowd, nudging people out of the way with his large frame, making it easy for Loki to follow in his footsteps which came in handy as they approached an entrance to another room. Inside there was barely space for the two of them to cram their way in amongst the spectators.  
This cage, more extravagant than any of the others, adorned with gems and shells, was on a platform, raised above the the patrons, putting Snarler out of their reach. It was a good thing too as the dragon was doing his best to live up to his name, baring his teeth at anyone who came near, snapping at the few who dared to reach an outstretched hand towards him.  
There was a man, an announcer and guide of sorts, who walked along the edge of the platform. It seemed that his purpose was not only to answer questions but he had apparently been instructed to antagonize Snarler as well, jabbing a rod into the cage to prod him whenever he came close enough. Loki thought it must have had electricity running through it from the way the dragon yelped and then growled, snapping his jaws at the man who simply laughed it off.  
“Idiot.” Loki muttered. “He’s lucky he hasn’t gotten himself killed. Thor! Wait!” But his brother had already began to move through the crowd, none too gentle about the way he pushed people out of his way. Loki stuck as close as he could, apologizing along the way each time someone shot them a dirty look.   
Something changed then. Thor’s anger had been building up to a breaking point and he was ready to unleash it. The air around them was suddenly so thick that Loki felt it was difficult to breathe. Sparks began to crackle around his brother’s form. Loki took a step back, careful to avoid the crossfire.   
Odin may have appropriated his hammer along with any chance Thor had to sit on the throne and rule Asgard but there were some things he could never take away. Since they’d been on their own, Thor had become far more powerful. He had no one to hold him back now as Loki only wanted to see him grow, wanted the two of them to be an unstoppable force, a duo feared by the galaxy.   
Thor would likely frown upon such an image. The thought made Loki smile.  
The white-hot glow from the lightning that glimmered around Thor sent those closest to the god stumbling out of his way. Some screamed, panicking, shoving their way towards the exit, while others watched in awe at a reasonable distance.  
Loki grabbed the set of blasters strapped to his thighs, aiming at those nearest to him. He flashed a toothy grin.   
“Hi.”  
The woman in front of him screeched as if she’d just seen a ghost, shoving the man beside her in an effort to get away from the madmen as quickly as possible. How dramatic, Loki thought, but it had worked. He turned around to see Thor already up on the platform, approaching the announcer who was quite literally shaking in his boots.  
“S-sir! You can’t--!!” His words were cut off by a melodramatic scream when Thor grabbed him by his collar and threw him off the edge of the stage.   
Loki watched from below as Thor faced Snarler and his entire demeanor changed. The dragon seemed to take a moment to process who he was looking at, tail beginning to wag excitedly as the anger quickly seeped out of both of them, replaced by relief. Thor approached the bars to the cage. He didn’t hesitate to place a hand on two of them, pulling them apart with ease so that he could step inside.   
What Loki hadn’t been prepared for was two of the heaviest beings in the galaxy falling directly on top of him when Snarler decided to pounce on Thor, knocking him off the platform.  
“Off of me, you oafs!” he cried, pounding his closed fists against Thor in an attempt to move him.  
Thor laughed, his arms winding around Snarler to hold him against himself in a tight hug, welcoming the slobbery licks he was rewarded with. “He missed us! Didn’t you, boy?”  
Snarler responded with an odd sort of cooing sound, nuzzling against Thor’s beard affectionately as Loki heaved a sigh where he waited beneath them, helpless. His voice was strained when he spoke up.  
“This is a touching reunion and all but our time is limited. We should go. Now.”   
It was only then that Thor finally made an attempt to slide off of his brother, holding Snarler in his arms. He stood up and the dragon wound his way around Thor’s shoulders, resting comfortably there. Loki didn’t understand how his brother could hold all that weight and still have a smile on his face. He stood as well and dusted himself off, noting then that the room was now vacant save for the three of them.  
“Let’s go.”  
“Loki!” The tone of his name was foreign to his ears. It hadn’t been Thor that spoke but Snarler. His voice didn’t sound anything like a person’s; it was like an animal learning to speak, all growls and throaty noises, but each syllable was clear and unmistakable.  
Loki felt himself himself freeze up. It wasn’t often that something surprised him in such a way, but his eyes widened, staring at Snarler first, then Thor, who looked almost as surprised as he felt.  
“He said your name. How?”  
“You really expect me to have an answer to that?”  
“Loki!” Snarler repeated, the name a bit less guttural this time but it was still very much like a baby speaking its first word. He lept off of Thor’s shoulders and went straight for the trickster, nearly knocking him back to the ground. Loki staggered as he caught the dragon, feet planted firmly to accommodate the creature’s weight.   
“I don’t know why you’re so happy to see me.” He grunted. It was likely Snarler didn’t understand that Loki had intended to leave him behind for good when they’d last parted ways.  
An alarm sounded overhead, snapping their focus back to their current predicament.  
“That’s our cue.” Loki said, quickly and carefully setting Snarler down on the ground. “We need to move.”  
Thor wasn’t about to waste another second in that place. He led the way as the three of them ran into the main showroom where all the animals were causing quite a ruckus. Birds squaked and mammals roared.   
The thunder god paused, his eyes sweeping across the scene before them. It only took a glance in his brother’s direction for Loki to fit the pieces together, to understand what was going on in Thor’s mind.  
“We should be quick,” Loki said, and stepped up to the nearest cage. It took little effort to unlock with his magic, the latch giving an audible click just before it flew open to release the creature inside. As terrifying as the bird appeared with it’s long bill filled with razor sharp teeth, it seemed to have no interest in any of them, dashing out of its cage to seek freedom.  
Thor and Loki worked together to break open the cages, releasing the rare creatures they held behind their golden bars. Even Snarler seemed to want to join the effort, gnawing on the bars of one of the cages, tugging on it until he was able to rip it free.  
It was probably only because they’d released so many creatures that they hadn’t had to deal with any guards. It seemed likely they were busy trying to wrangle them up or perhaps even running for their own safety given how terrifying many of them appeared to be. Whatever the case, luck was on their side and Loki was not one to question it.   
The trio stuck together, Snarler dashing along between the brothers while they made their escape. They hurtled down the corridor where earlier they’d incapacitated the guards, who seemed to have awoken and made their departure as their bodies were nowhere to be seen.   
It was then that their short-term luck ran out. The casino was in utter chaos. Avians flew overhead while beasts dashed about, sending groups of people racing for safety. Guards had gathered to help but it seemed they were on the lookout for the brothers.  
“There they are!” One shouted over the cries of the crowd. Several others turned their attention in the direction she’d pointed, but not a single one got a chance to advance on the group. Thor charged at them, electricity sparkling around him in a dazzling and terrifying display that sent Loki skidding to a halt. He quickly changed direction and snapped his fingers to catch Snarler’s attention. “This way!” He urged, darting through what was left of the crowd and the creatures surrounding them.  
Loki did his best to clear them a path by casting doubles of himself which popped up ahead of them and sent unsuspecting bystanders hurtling out of the way. His mirages were conjured donning that elaborate helmet of his and an uneasy smirk stretched across his thin lips to ensure the image did the trick. Having Snarler at his side certainly helped as no one knew what to expect from a dragon.  
Just when Loki thought they might make it out of the casino he was forced to come to a sudden stop that turned into him backtracking a few steps. A gigantic beast with an impressive wingspan stood in their path, an excessive amount of teeth on display, its quilled tail swishing back and forth menacingly. Of all the creatures that Loki had laid his eyes upon none had intimidated him the way this one did. There was no mistaking what the thing was. Hard to confuse a creature with the face of a man on the body of a lion for anything else. It was an image he would not soon forget and one he wished he never had the privilege to see in person.  
The manticore stepped forward, a deep, throaty growl escaping its open mouth. The inhuman sound sent a shiver up Loki’s spine. It had all been so easy until that moment when he now had to consider what sort of magic he had up his sleeve that would take it down or at the very least immobilize it long enough for them to make their escape.  
It was then that Snarler lept into action. He jumped in front of Loki, baring all his teeth, as if in a competition with the manticore. Small plumes of smoke billowed from his nostrils but Loki thought it didn’t seem likely that he’d be shooting fire from his mouth anytime soon. The display was intimidating nonetheless. Even the manticore seemed to be leery of its contender despite the fact that it was at least triple the size of the dragon.  
Snarler didn’t wait for the other beast to strike first. He pushed off the ground, pouncing on the manticore like a cat after a mouse, although with their size difference it should have been the other way around. The two of them growled and hissed, paws and claws clashing while they fought.   
It didn’t make sense to Loki why Snarler would try to protect him. From day one he had made no effort to befriend the dragon. But as the thought crossed his mind he considered where they were and what had transpired. For a second time, Loki had been present while Thor freed Snarler from a cage.   
Maybe it was time to accept their new traveling companion and take advantage of the strength he would aid them.  
Loki grabbed one of his blasters and held it out, ready to shoot. But finding an opening while the two rolled about the casino lobby was somewhat problematic. The two crashed into machines and gaming tables which sent coins and chips raining down upon them in a heavy shower.  
Snarler bit down on the manticore’s tail near the base where there were no spines. It roared in pain, flapping it’s gigantic wings that created gusts of wind powerful enough to knock Loki backwards, rendering him useless. He looked up to see that Snarler was still holding his ground, no doubt thanks to his solid weight. The dragon pushed off the ground, leaping onto the manticore’s back, who now thrashed about desperately in an attempt to throw him off.  
“You two look like you could use some help.” Thor had appeared beside Loki, a hand outstretched to help him up off the floor. The younger god grabbed it, pulling himself up, immediately stepping around Thor so that his brother was between himself and the brawl they stood only feet away from.  
“The two of us? I haven’t been much help.” He gestured towards the creatures, one hand on Thor’s shoulder, as if he were ready to duck behind him or possibly even shove the blond forward in order to protect himself if the fight came any closer.  
“Wait here.” Thor patted his hand over Loki’s and took off running towards the brawl. While Loki may not have been willing to jump in the way Thor did, it was really no surprise to see his brother hurtling towards the manticore, swinging a fist at the creature’s human-like face. Now the thing was truly outnumbered.  
Loki was able to take a few shots but the blaster fire did little more than further anger the creature. Thor and Snarler took turns attacking and even a few guards seemed to want a piece of the action.  
“The dragon, you fools! Catch the dragon!”  
Loki turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Lavode stood several yards back, a row of guards protecting him while he pointed to his prize.  
“Thor!” The trickster shouted, nodding his head towards the front doors. This was a fight they would not win and the longer they lingered the more guards would pile in and inevitably surround them.   
“Leave it to them,” he told Thor when he was close enough, tugging on his brother’s arm. “Let’s go. Now.” Loki urged, snapping his fingers to catch Snaler’s attention. “You too.” It was a surprise to see the dragon respond so quickly, whipping his head around to face Loki. But after repeating the action he supposed Snarler had begun to pick up on the sound and that it was meant for him. Maybe he wasn’t completely stupid after all. Loki would admit nothing.  
Thor moved first, charging at the doors. The manticore was still distracted by the guards, even while Snarler darted away to chase the thunderer and the handful of Lavode’s guards on their heels. Loki shot at them while they ran but didn’t have to keep it up for long as the manticore pounced the leader of those who had decided to follow after the trio.   
A piercing scream ripped through the air. Loki wasn’t sorry that he’d turned away mere seconds before.  
They burst out through the lobby’s doors and onto the street, Thor in the lead as they booked it back towards their ship. Loki thought he might even let Thor pick their next destination after the week they'd had.


	14. Chapter 14

Loki had never expected space to feel like home. But now, with Xanus behind them, he felt at ease. There was still worry that Lavode might come after them but with the amount of credits they’d procured there was no need to be concerned about running out of fuel. They’d spend their time traveling for a while, he’d make sure of that, crossing star systems until they were on the opposite side of the galaxy. Far away enough that it might not be worth the hassle, even for something as rare as a dragon.  
Loki leaned back in the captain’s seat, admiring the stars as they flew through space. It was a sight he thought he’d never grow tired of. The silence he sat in didn’t last long as both Thor and Snarler wandered into the small space. He turned in his chair to face them.  
“I’d venture to guess that I will have no say in our next destination, correct?”   
“You’re as sharp as ever.”  
In a surprising move, Thor took up the seat beside Loki without bringing attention to the fact that his brother was in what he claimed as his chair. Snarler hopped up onto the blond’s lap where he settled into place. He looked as tired as Loki felt.  
It didn’t seem as if Thor had anything in particular to say. The steady thrum of the ship was the only noise that occupied the space between them for some time while Loki considered what he should say after all they’d just been through. He drew in a deep breath and began with, “I shouldn’t have gone behind your back like I did, I know that. Scratch that. I knew that, but I did it anyway.”  
He paused. Thor said nothing. Loki continued. “I’m still not fond of the idea of having a dragon around but at this point I owe it to you to give him a chance. During that time I promise to try my best not to feel any sort of jealousy towards Snarler specifically when it’s only the two of you together. I suppose I’ve just gotten used to having you all to myself.”   
“Loki…” The inflection in Thor’s voice reminded him of Frigga when she knew she should scold him but didn’t quite have the heart to do so. “I’m still yours. Even after what you did not only to Snarler but to me. I still love you. I can’t not love you.”  
Loki opened his mouth but Thor continued before he could get a word in. “You aren’t alone anymore. Can’t you see that? I haven’t always been there for you but I am now.” Thor’s hand sought out his brother’s, lacing their fingers together. “And though you’ve given me little reason to trust you, I do. Which is why I won’t demand, won’t even ask why the hel you had my eye ripped from my skull.”  
“You won’t because you’re a fool.”  
“A fool who knows my brother’s tricks and the way he thinks. You’ll tell me when you’re ready to. I trust that much.”  
Loki knew then what he needed to say.   
“Thor. You should know that… I am sorry for what I’ve done. I regret my actions and how they’ve driven us apart.” None of it was easy to admit but it felt like it was time to finally try to open up, to be the person Thor seemed to think he could become. “I hope that you will be able to forgive me.”  
A glance in Thor’s direction told him his brother was skeptical. He focused on the gauze which surely needed to be changed, hesitantly reaching out to brush his fingertips along the edge of the thin fabric and Thor’s skin. “Will you let me take a look at it?”  
“Later.” And at Loki’s frown Thor added, “I promise, brother. For now I think we should follow Snarler’s example and rest.”  
Loki hadn’t noticed that the dragon had curled up tightly and dozed off where he’d settled on Thor’s lap. It had been an exhausting day for all of them. Sleep did sound appealing…  
“Very well. But first thing when we rise you’ll let me change the bandage.”  
“First thing,” Thor agreed. Their hands fell away from each other just as Thor stood, lifting Snarler so he was held securely in his arms. With the ship on autopilot, they exited the cockpit together.  
Things would be tense for some time. Loki could accept that. He thought he could even grow used to Snarler’s companionship if Thor was so dedicated to the idea of keeping him. And he did owe him a very large favor after the eye incident.  
As they entered their bedroom Loki took pause, hanging back at the doorway. He felt like he shouldn’t be allowed there with Thor. He watched his brother carefully set the dragon down on the mattress, then take a seat on the edge where he pulled off his boots and unstrapped his holster with the blaster still in it, setting them aside. It probably wasn’t wise to leave a weapon lying around in the same room as Snarler and it was that fact alone which caused Loki to cross the threshold.  
He copied Thor’s movements, removing boths boots first, then the holsters with the blasters securely tucked away. Loki bent down to scoop up Thor’s weapon and sent them off to his usual hiding space where they could be conjured at will, out of the way for the time being.  
“Come here.” Thor said, the words almost demanding, but Loki thought he understood. This was not the time to argue, it was the time to listen.  
Loki took a seat beside Thor and gave a grunt as his brother wrapped an arm around Loki’s middle, moving him about as he pleased as he so often did. In the end they settled on their sides, Thor with his chest pressed up against Loki’s back, Snarler in front of him. Heat radiated off both bodies to which Loki gave a heavy sigh.  
“How is it that I ended up between two living, breathing heaters?”  
“You’re right where you belong,” Thor said, settling with his arm now draped across the Loki’s side. Thor’s hand pressed to his chest where he could feel Loki’s steady heartbeat beneath his palm.  
Things weren’t perfect, nor were they likely to ever be, but if Loki could still end up in Thor’s embrace he thought that things might be okay after all.


End file.
